Jarren Duran reacts after hitting an RBI double during a game against Toronto last May at Fenway Park Boston. His 24 stolen bases last season were the most by any Red Sox player since Mookie Betts in 2018. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The first full-squad workout isn’t until Monday, but Alex Cora already knows who he wants leading off in 2024.
“If Jarren is healthy, he’s our leadoff guy,” the Boston Red Sox manager said.
Between May 15 and Aug. 11 of last season, Jarren Duran made 35 starts in the leadoff spot. He hit .319 with a .923 OPS, 45 hits – including 16 doubles, two triples, and five home runs – 25 runs scored, seven walks, 33 strikeouts, and 12 stolen bases. As the first batter of the game, he went 14 for 34 (.412) with four doubles, a triple, and a homer.
Among the 48 MLB hitters who had at least as many plate appearances (149) in the leadoff spot as he did, Duran ranked third in slugging percentage, fourth in batting average, and fifth in OPS.
With his speed – he ranked in the 96th MLB percentile in Sprint Speed and 97th in Baserunning Run Value – he excelled at turning singles into doubles, an appealing attribute for a leadoff man. Of the aforementioned 48 players, he was one of 15 players who stole 12 or more bases. However, the rest of them played anywhere from five to 126 games more than he did.
Even though a toe injury put an end to his season after 102 games, it was a stunning turnaround for the 27-year-old outfielder, who’d struggled to a .219 average and .622 OPS over his first 91 career games between the ’21 and ’22 seasons.
After starting 2023 in Triple-A, he rejoined the big-league club in mid-April and hit .295 with a .828 OPS. He not only emerged as a force at the plate, but improved defensively, and was electrifying on the base paths; he led the team with 24 stolen bases, the most by a Red Sox player since Mookie Betts in 2018.
Duran’s positive impact became clear both from his presence in and absence from the top of the lineup. The Red Sox went 39-36 when Duran hit at the top of the order, including 18 wins – or 23% of their season total. “When Jarren was the leadoff guy for us, we were probably one of the best offenses in the big leagues,” Cora said.
The morning after Duran’s last game in the leadoff spot, the Red Sox were 61-55, in fourth place in the American League East. They went 17-29 the rest of the season and finished last in the division for the third time in four seasons. His late-summer injury wasn’t the key reason for the team’s collapse, but the Sox lost a lot of speed and spark without him.
Teams took notice, too. Duran is trying to tune out the trade rumors. “I don’t pay attention to that stuff,” he said. “It’s just more stress, and I don’t want to add more stress to my life than I already do to myself.”
“I think that’s really cool,” he said of teams being interested in him, “but at the same time, I’m with the Red Sox so all I really care is what they think of me right now.”
Among their thoughts on him is that he’s a strong candidate not only to make his first Opening Day roster, but to be their leadoff man. He doesn’t take any of it lightly.
“That’s awesome to hear,” Duran said when made aware of Cora’s announcement, “but I just can’t be satisfied still, I’m still gonna come out here like I don’t have a job.
“That’s just not how I’m wired or raised, to take anything for granted, so I’m still gonna come out here and work as hard as I can until they tell me, ‘Hey, like, take it back a little bit, you’re working a little too hard.’ ”
One thing that has changed is Duran’s comfort level in the clubhouse. On a team with immense roster turnover over the last several years, he’s no longer the rookie going back and forth from Triple-A Worcester. In fact, he’s their longest-tenured outfielder.
“I’m still coming in with the same attitude,” he said of his training and work ethic, “but I’d just say I know more guys, so it’s more comfortable hanging out with the boys and not feeling like I’m stepping on anybody’s toes, you know, it’s easy to shoot the banter with guys and joke around with them.”
Outside the clubhouse is a different story. He’s become a recognizable member of the team, which can be uncomfortable for someone who describes himself as “just a quiet, shy guy.”
“It’s nice that people recognize me and stuff, but sometimes I wish I was still hiding under the umbrella, I could sneak by people,” he explained. “But it’s awesome to have the fans’ support and I love them, and I hope they love me, and I hope they enjoy the way I play the game.”
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